Managing Director, Legal Services

Goodwin Procter•Boston, DC

12d•$285,000 - $375,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do. Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer. This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward-thinking peers. We are creating a new kind of leadership role with an opportunity to shape the way we deliver legal services. The Managing Director of Legal Services will oversee and unify all of our non-attorney timekeeper functions including paralegals, pro bono professionals, financial analysts, IP operations, and other emerging roles /teams . This leader will ensure these functions work together seamlessly to deliver maximum client value, drive firm profitability, and free up our attorneys to focus on the highest-value, most strategic work. At a time when the classic pyramid model of legal staffing is disappearing and new expectations for efficiency, innovation, and business alignment are reshaping the legal industry, this role becomes absolutely critical . We are looking for a visionary builder and change leader who can help us design the firm of the future.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (JD, MBA, or related field) strongly preferred.
12+ years of progressive leadership experience in legal operations, professional services management, or related fields.
Proven success leading multi-disciplinary teams within a law firm, corporate legal department, or professional services organization.
Deep knowledge of legal operations, right-sourcing , and modern service delivery models.
Strong business and financial acumen; demonstrated ab ility to balance client value with firm profitability.
Demonstrated ability to drive and deliver large-scale transformation and innovation.
Exceptional communication, influence, and leadership skills, with a track record of inspiring diverse teams.
Energized by the opportunity to redefine what legal services delivery looks like in a rapidly changing industry.

Responsibilities

Lead & Inspire Provide strategic leadership across all non-attorney professional teams, ensuring they are high-performing, cohesive, and aligned with firm priorities. Establish a strong vision and shared culture of innovation, collaboration, and impact across diverse groups of professionals.
Rethink & Redesign Service Delivery Challenge traditional staffing models and workflows and reimagine how legal services are delivered to clients. Partner with attorneys , attorney development managers and practice managers to ensure the right work is being done by the right people, in the right way, at the right cost. Explore, propose and pilot new models for right-sourcing legal work, including automation, self-service, and technology -enabled solutions.
Maximize Client Value & Firm Profitability Align all initiatives with client priorities, ensuring that every improvement demonstrates clear and measurable client value. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and scale, while also increasing profitability. In collabor ation with Business Intelligence & Analytics function, d evelop metrics and dashboards that provide visibility into value creation, cost management, and team performance and , identify and p romote use case by relevant leaders and functions .
Champion Innovation & Technology Drive adoption of advanced technology, automation, and AI to transform how we deliver legal and business advisory services. Move beyond incremental process improvements to design and implement new models of legal service delivery. Ensure we continuously evolve as client expectations, markets, and technology shift.